FAQ

No, you don't. We are exempt from notarization. You can apply for housing benefits at the Housing and Civil Engineering Agency without having a notarized lease when you rent from Félagbústaðir.

Rental prices at Félagsbústaður are index-linked. This means that rent increases or decreases in accordance with changes in the consumer price index.  

Statistics Iceland calculates the consumer price index according to international standards. It is a common measure of inflation and changes in household spending in the country.

Social housing informs you as a new user of electricity when signing the lease. You then have to choose an electricity supplier within 30 days. If this is not done, Veitur shuts down the electricity supply with associated inconvenience. Selling electricity is considered a competitive product and you can choose between eight parties. On Aurbjargar's website, you can compare costs between these parties as well as get answers to frequently asked questions. Note that the distribution of electricity is in the hands of concessionaires such as Veitur.

No, you do not need to provide a rental guarantee when you sign a lease with Félagsbústaðir.

Here you can access Reykjavík City's garbage collection calendar by district. It contains information on both general waste and recycling bins.

You apply for a transfer at your service centre. All questions about transfers and the waiting time for moving to another apartment should be directed to the City of Reykjavík’s Welfare Department or to your service centre.

If a transfer has been approved and you have been allocated another apartment, a process similar to the one you went through when you were first allocated an apartment takes over. You should call us and request a viewing of the new apartment. If you accept the new apartment, you should book an appointment for signing the rental agreement. When moving, it is important to change your legal domicile as soon as possible, as well as renew applications for housing benefits and special housing support in accordance with the new address. 

Transfers are subject to fees consisting of a one-time kr. 10.000 fee and a daily fee. The daily fee kr. 2.860 is calculated for each day you keep your previous apartment, after signing a leasing agreement for a new apartment. 

Most often, we follow the majority when it comes to approval for improvements and construction of common areas. If the housing association is responsible for the renovation and construction for each apartment, please send us information about the project description and costs by e-mail before construction begins.

We ask to receive all information concerning planned construction and meeting invitations for housing association by e-mail.

Yes, in most cases, our tenants are entitled to housing benefits. Further information about applying for housing benefits and applications can be found on the website of the Housing and Construction Authority.  

Housing benefits are paid directly to Félagsbústaðir, and are deducted from the rent. The same applies to the special housing support provided by the City of Reykjavík’s Welfare Department. 

Individuals who are registered as single and live alone may also be entitled to a housing supplement. The grant is paid to the individual. Further information is available on the Social Insurance Administration here.

Félagsbústaðir’s service consultants handle the rental agreements.

If you have viewed the apartment you were allocated, you can book an appointment for signing the rental agreement Monday to Thursday from 9:00-15:00 and Friday from 9:00-14:00 by telephone at 520-1500.

If you are planning to move elsewhere, please let us know by e-mail. We will guide you through the next steps and when you will need to return the apartment. Please remember that you must empty the apartment, do a light cleaning and give Veitur an electrical reading, before you return the keys to us.

If you live in a building where there is a violation of house rules, we would like to hear from you. Send us an e-mail, contact us via online chat or call. We will take note your concerns and react as appropriate. We appreciate being notified.

If you as a tenant or a party connected to you has caused damage, you are responsible and may have to pay repair costs. Damage caused by external factors, e.g. weather, natural disasters or unrelated parties, are the responsibility and cost of Félagsbústaðir.

Félagsbústaðir takes care of the area surrounding the buildings and the common areas in the apartment buildings that we fully own. The housing association in question takes care of the maintenance of the surrounding area and common areas where we own individual properties.  

If the apartment comes with a private garden, the tenant is responsible for general maintenance, i.e. mowing the lawn, clearing the flower beds and clipping trees so that the garden is tidy. The tenant may also have to take care of other types of joint obligations, e.g. cleaning of common areas and supervision of waste storage areas, subject to the agreements of each housing association. If not attended to, Félagsbústaðir reserves the right to have this done at the tenant’s expense.

The subletting of Félagsbústaðir’s apartments to tourists or other parties, for a longer or shorter period, in part or in full, is prohibited in accord to the provisions of the leasing agreements and the provisions of the Rental Act. Such subletting is also not in line with the purpose rooted the rental agreements of Félagsbústaðir, where fewer people receive assistance than want and need. In the event of a violation of this ban, the immediate termination of the contract can be expected. 

Apartments are usually painted every seven to eight years from the time tenants move in, unless there are other reasons, e.g. damage, local conditions and more. Félagsbústaðir’s project managers decide if and when to paint. If you think it’s time to paint your apartment, please contact us and we will look into the matter. 

In general, it is not permitted to make any changes to apartments without the permission of Félagsbústaðir. Of course, it is okay to hang pictures and other light objects on the walls.

In the case of apartment buildings that are fully owned by the company, parking spaces are generally not marked for specific apartments. 

Where Félagsbústaðir owns individual flats, parking spaces are in accord to the decision the housing association in question.

Félagsbústaðir try to ensure a sufficient supply of parking spaces based on the number of tenants with P-certificates and also for guests. 

Special markings on P-parking spaces are subject to the Welfare Department’s assessment of the special needs of P-license holders, and this must be formally applied for to a social worker or service center.

No. If you think you have an urgent need or are entitled to financial or other assistance, please contact your social worker.

Motus is responsible for collecting overdue rent for Félagsbústaðir.

If you do not pay by the due date, a collection warning will be sent 14 days from the due date for rent. A cost of ISK kr. 863.- is added.

If the rent is still unpaid 28 days after the due date, the rental claim will go to Motus for intermediate collection. The payer is given 7 days to complete the payment or agreement. Failure to respond to a collection warning may result in a eviction process taking over along with increased collection costs. More information can be found on the pay website Motus, Do not do nothing. Motus puts effort into accommodating payers as much as possible and to find solutions that contribute to a successful continued residency. 

Contact us by phone, online chat or by e-mail , and we will look into the matter with you.

In general, Félagsbústaðir permits the keeping of pet animals on their property, but this is always subject to the consent of other residents in your apartment building and the building’s housing association. It is necessary to obtain the written consent of 2/3 of the residents in the apartment building before you get a pet animal. 

If you have received permission from other residents in the apartment building, it is necessary to apply for a permit for the pet animal and register with the City of Reykjavík. See more information about pet dog keeping og pet cat keeping.. 

You must take ensure that your pet does not cause danger, inconvenience, uncleanliness, or disturb the peace of your neighbors. Pet dog owners need to remove excrement from the dog immediately and raise the dog so that he does not bark when he is alone at home. Pet dogs must also not be loose in common areas or areas surrounding the building and must be on a leash when they are coming or going from an apartment.

In case of violation of house rules, the tenant receives a written warning. If the tenant repeatedly violates the house rules, this can lead to the revocation of the government decision and the termination of the tenancy agreement, which requires that the apartment be vacated within a certain deadline. If the tenant does not leave the premises voluntarily following a termination, a court ruling and the intervention of the District Commissioner are required to vacate the premises.

In the case where Félagsbústaðir owns single apartments it‘s the decision of the respected Housing associtation to determine the amount of the housing fund which are agreed upon in general meetings each year. Houses that are fully owned by Félagsbústaðir the housing fund is determined by the last year‘s cost 

It is different between apartment buildings what is included in housing fund. What is usually included in housing fund is heating; electricity; care of the garden, e.g. mowing and snow removal; garbage collection; and recycling. Sometimes cleaning is purchased as part of the housing fund, but otherwise the residents share the cleaning of the common area.

If you want to know exactly what is included in the housing maintenance fee in your building, please contact us. 

If you are worried about the state of your apartment we urge you to contact our service desk via chat, e-mail. or phone and book an appointment for an inspection. 

An employee of the property and maintenance department comes to visit you and assesses the maintenance needs of the apartment.

The rental price of apartments in Félagsbústaðir is index-linked, so rental prices can vary slightly between months.

If there was a significant change in the amount of the rental invoice, the reason may be a change in the amount of housing benefits frá Húsnæðis- og Mannvirkjastofnun eða special housing support. frá Reykjavíkurborg. 

Please note that a detailed invoice will appear in your online banking. 

Warnings are sent to tenants following serious violations of housing rules. When we send a warning, we are in contact with social workers and/or other supporters who are involved with the tenant in question, and we always focus on giving the tenant the opportunity to improve their behavior. In the event of repeated and serious violations of housing rules, it can lead to revocation of government decision, termination of the tenancy agreement and a request may be made for the apartment to be vacated within a specified period. Some cases may lead to eviction. 

If you have received a warning, carefully review its content and take into account what it says. Please contact us if anything is unclear. 

Félagsbústaðir collects service fees for service apartments on behalf of the City of Reykjavík.

These include round-the-clock monitoring, security system, management and office management, as well as cleaning of common areas and lounge facilities. 

See tariff here.

A payment fee (IS. greiðslugjald) kr. 200 is a fee charged due to cost of creating bills in your online banking.

If the apartment is in a building that Félagsbústaðir owns in full, we ask you to contact us. 

If Félagsbústaðir does not own the building in full, i.e. in the case of a single apartment, the tenant goes to the locksmith themselves and requests the additional keys. 

Tenants bear the cost of extra keys themselves. 

Housing rules state that rubbish should not be left in common areas, e.g. in the stairwell. If this is the case, we ask you to notify us by phone 520-1500 or to email. 

You can attend a housing association meeting in your building but note that you do not have the right to vote like other residents and owners of apartments in the building.

No, in general window washing is not included in the housing fund and Félagsbústaðir do usually not provide such cleaning.

If common blockage clearing methods have not been sufficient, we suggest you contact us and we will resolve the issue.

Yes, Blokkin is the Félagsbústaðir tenants’ association. Further information can be found on their Facebook page.

We respond to all enquiries and submit them for processing within 24 hours or the next working day. The processing time of enquiries can vary according to their nature, e.g. depending on the nature of the repair request or the complexity of the communication problem in the house in which you live. We assure you that we will process the case as soon as possible and will inform you of the situation as appropriate. 

As a tenant, you need to insure your belongings yourself, should you choose to do so. Félagsbústaðir are not liable for any damage to household furniture. The property as such is insured by Félagsbústaðir according to laws to that effect.

Children of tenants who live with them and reach the age of 18 after the allocation may continue to live with the tenant after reaching the age of 18. 

Here you can submit a report to the Internal Audit if you have become aware of a possible misconduct concerning the activities of the City of Reykjavík.

Shared parking by apartment buildings owned by Félagsbústaðir is only intended for usable cars. If numberless cars, carts or caravans are stored in car parks, Félagsbústaðir may have them removed at the expense of their owner. In such cases, the notice is affixed to the window of a car parked without permission and the owner is given the opportunity to remove the car within the time specified. Otherwise the car is removed at the owner's expense. Vaka ehf. removes the vehicle and the owner pays for the transport according to the price list when he releases the vehicle from Vaka.

If you live in a building that we own fully, you can let us know about cars without license plates in parking areas by calling 520-1500 or via email.

If you live in a single apartment, contact the housing association in the building where you live.

No. If you wish to move to another building owned by Félagsbústaðir, a so-called transfer, you need to contact a consultant at the center in your neighborhood and fill out a transfer application. Your application will then go on the waiting list if you meet the conditions of Reykjavík City's rules for social rental housing. Tenants who are on the waiting list for transfer are regularly assigned to another housing. The waiting time depends on various factors, e.g. needs and status of the tenant, availability of housing, etc.  

An apartment transfer fee is charged for transfers between apartments owned by Félagsbústaðir. The transfer fee consists of a one-time fee kr. 10.000, which is added to the first month of the new leasing agreement. Also, a daily fee kr. 2.860 for each day a tenant keeps the previous apartment until it is returned. The daily fee is calculated from the second day, which means that if the tenant signs a contract for a new apartment on Monday, the tenant can return the apartment on Tuesday without a daily fee. However, if returned on Wednesday, the daily fee is calculated at kr. 2.860 and the total transfer fee will therefore be ISK 12,860. Tenants will have the option to divide payments over six months.

Yes, here you will find the Tenants' Assistance website, which is run by the Consumers' Association under an agreement with the Ministry of Social Affairs. A lot of information can be found on the website and we encourage tenants to familiarize themselves with it.